1st ODI, Sharjah, September 18, 2024, 05:30 PM
South Africa
106/10(33.3ov)
Afghanistan
107/4(26.0ov)
Afghanistan beat South Africa by 6 wickets
Best Batsmen
R
B
4S
6S
SR
Best Bowler
O
R
W
Econ
Man of the Match
Fazalhaq Farooqi
Commentry
Right then, that's it from the coverage of this game. Afghanistan have taken a 1-0 lead in this series. These two teams will meet again on 20th September for the second ODI. South Africa have their task cut out, they will come into this fixture to level the series, although it is going to be very difficult against a solid Afghanistan unit. The first ball will be at 12 pm GMT, but you can surely join us early for the build-up. ADIOS!
FAZALHAQ FAROOQI WINS THE PLAYER OF THE MATCH AWARD.
Hashmatullah Shahidi, the winning skipper says that the team is looking forward to winning this series and is fully prepared to take on the challenges that lie ahead in the upcoming two games. They are determined to give their best effort to secure victory in this ODI series.
Aiden Markram, the captain of South Africa is in for a chat. He says that there are a lot of honest learnings to take away from this game and they failed under pressure. Mentions that there will be defined game plans for the next match and as long as they can execute them better, they should win it.
Stay tuned for the presentation....
The defining moment came when Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib stepped up under pressure, holding their nerves to guide Afghanistan to a historic victory. This win not only marked their first-ever ODI triumph against South Africa but also highlighted their growing stature in the world of cricket. South Africa started well with the ball in hand, thanks to the early breakthrough from Lungi Ngidi. Bjorn Fortuin stood out with his two wickets, but they weren't enough to deny Afghanistan this victory, which helped them to take a lead in this series.
In reply, Afghanistan faced immediate pressure as they lost opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz without a run on the board. Riaz Hassan and Rahmat Shah took their time, slowly building a platform, but Rahmat's stay at the crease was short-lived. Hassan, though, found support in captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, and together they began to stabilize the innings, inching their way back into the contest.
Afghanistan, having lost the toss, put on a masterclass with the ball in hand, ripping through South Africa’s top order. In a sensational display of bowling, they claimed seven wickets in the first ten overs, reducing the Proteas to a mere 36 runs. It was Fazalhaq Farooqi and AM Ghazanfar who set the tone for Afghanistan with the ball in hand. Wiaan Mulder, however, stood tall amidst the chaos, showcasing his all-round abilities. His fighting knock of 52 – his highest in ODIs – was instrumental in lifting South Africa to a modest total of 106.
The 250th ODI match in Sharjah is quite a memorable one for Afghanistan as they make history by getting the better of South Africa for the first time ever in this format. South Africa started well with the ball in hand, but could not really keep the batters under constant pressure.
In over# 26
1
0
4
2
4
2
Andile Phehlukwayo 20/0(2)
25.6
1
AFGHANISTAN CREATES HISTORY! They have beaten South Africa for the very first time in ODIs. Andile Phehlukwayo serves this full, on middle, Gulbadin Naib drills it towards mid on where the fielder fumbles a bit and allows the batters to take the winning run. AFGHANISTAN WIN BY 6 WICKETS!
25.5
.
Overpitched and outside off, Gulbadin Naib swings hard but cue-ends it straight to mid off. We still wait.
25.4
4
FOUR! SCORES LEVEL! The crowd is absolutely buzzing! Andile Phehlukwayo bangs this into the pitch again, on middle, Gulbadin Naib stands tall and smacks it over mid-wicket for another boundary.
25.3
2
Back of a length and on middle, Gulbadin Naib pulls it away wide of deep square leg for a brace. Afghanistan one big hit away from the win!
25.2
4
FOUR! Powered away! The required runs are in the single digits now! Fuller in length and around middle, Gulbadin Naib backs away to create some room and blasts it down the ground past the bowler for a boundary. They can almost touch it now!
25.1
2
Short of a length and around off, Gulbadin Naib slaps it over mid off, the fielder chases it and slides to keep it down to just two here.
In over# 25
0
0
0
1
1
0
Bjorn Fortuin 22/2(9)
24.6
.
Flighted, full and on off, Azmatullah Omarzai keeps it out to the off side.
24.5
.
Goes short again, on off, Azmatullah Omarzai stabs it to covers.